Puppy Love
by Nightrain and Brownstone
Summary: Raising a kid on your own is tough work, especially when you’re a shinobi. But when you’re a widow/er, it’s just not that easy calling for reinforcements… …or is it?


Disclaimer: I actually own Naruto. NOT!

A/N: I've been scanning some fics and found something inspiring, so I came up with this. Also, a big thanks to Felix the Eeveetrainer for his approval.

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**Puppy Love**

_Mutual Feelings_

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Lapis eyes were once again trained at the brunette speaking before him; following every movement those plump, rouged lips made.

'_She's like a wild angel,_' he mused dreamily. He wasn't just in love. He was absolutely smitten.

However, there was a good chance she wouldn't accept him. He was a widower and a single-parent. Used goods as they called it. On the other hand, she was in the exact same predicament as he was- her spouse being one of the many casualties of the Kyuubi attack six years ago, as was his wife. If anything, mayhap it was high time they put the past behind them and gave love another chance.

Hiashi Hyuuga inwardly chuckled as he observed his teammate and best friend make googly-eyes at the woman speaking at the podium. It was just so amusing at times. It was so obvious Minato Namikaze and Tsume Inuzuka were a match made in heaven. Even their personalities filled the void left by their respective deceased partners. Minato was as much of a sweet, goofball genius as Shippo Inuzuka[1] was, and Tsume could give Kushina Uzumaki a run for her money in the loud, tomboy category. Given the circumstances, they could and should have gotten together a long time ago. They definitely deserved it.

It was tough being both the father and mother, especially if your offspring were two of the wildest children Konoha had seen in decades. It was taxing for the parent in question because it usally meant double work. And it was also a rough road for the children. Young Naruto Namikaze had never known a mother's love; and Kiba Inuzuka was in sore need of a father figure to look up to- true he had a few uncles, but they also had their own children to attend to. Given all this, Hiashi could not understand why his teammates couldn't just say "to heck with it all"and screw. After all, one of them _was_ the Fourth Hokage.

"…and this is why I am opting for it to be mandatory to have a scout on every shinobi team. Hopefully with some extra foresight, we could lessen the mortality rate in missions," finished the woman. With a bow and a flourish, she returned to her seat.

"Well, that is a very insightful deliberation, Lady Inuzuka," said a bespectacled old man. "Your thoughts on the matter, Lord Hokage?"

"Absolutely sublime…" murmured the still spaced-out Minato.

The council member looked at him strangely. "Beg pardon, Milord?"

"Love everything about it… …including the- YEOWCH!" The Yondaime was startled out of his blissful reverie by an ear flick, courtesy of one Hiashi Hyuuga. Jolted back into reality, he found the entire congregation ogling at him like some sort of zoo attraction.

Minato looked about sheepishly. "I absolutely agree?" he said, grinning weakly.

* * *

Hiashi glared at his friend as he took his diversions in the form of a ramen binge. "You owe me one."

"I know, I know," said the blond as he inhaled his third ramen bowl. "That was close! Tsume's probably on to me now!"

"Big surprise there," Hiashi put in, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "She's an Inuzuka. She could definitely smell the pheromones you're sending out to her."

"Thanks a lot," grumbled Minato. "You just made it more awkward that it already was."

"Why don't you stop being troublesome and just ask her out already?" suggested Shikaku Nara. "You've been making moony-eyes at her since that dinner party two years ago."

"I can't do that!" Minato objected. "It's disrespectful to our late spouses, and she has children, as do I… …and after what happened today, she must think I'm a total spaz."

"Reasons…" muttered Hiashi. "And just so you know, you _are_ a total spaz."

"Don't look now, but here comes Tsume," said Chouza Akimichi, peering through the curtains.

"If that's the case, I'm outta here," said Minato, standing up. "**Hirai**- HEY!" He suddenly found himself unable to move.

"Oh no, you don't," said Shikaku, his hands in the infamous rat sign. "We've had it with covering for you every time you slip up. It's high time you suck it up and take it like a man. Ask Tsume out. **Now**."

"No! You can't make me!" cried the Hokage.

"Actually we can," said Inoichi Yamanaka, flashing a thumbs-up at his lazy friend.

"Let me go!" Minato shouted. "Let me go or I'll have you executed for sedition!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" said Inoichi with a grin. "You'll be thanking us in the long run for this."

"You guys!" Minato practically whined. "Shibi, you're the voice of reason. Help me out here!"

"Not this time, Lord Hokage," said the Aburame clan head. "I have to agree with Shikaku on this one. It would be most logical if you just propose to Tsume and save yourself the trouble."

Minato's face fell. "Et tu, Shibi?"

"Tsume at three-o'-clock!" cried Chouza, peeping through the curtains once more. "Battle stations, everybody! She's making the turn…" He quickly drew his head back in. "…she'll be here in five…"

"Four…" mumbled Shikaku.

"Three…" Shibi could not help but join in the fray.

"Two…" Inoichi chimed in.

"One," Hiashi finished.

And right on cue, Tsume Inuzuka and her canine partner Kuromaru stormed into Ichiraku's looking somewhat peeved. "**Minato Namikaze**! You have some explaining to do…"

"W-what do you mean?"

Tsume's frown deepened. "_What do I mean_? I'm talking about you zoning out there during the shinobi conference. You were so out of it, a _civilian_ could stab you in the back and you wouldn't even know it. Iwa must have been a bunch of pansies to put a 'flee on sight' on a doofus like you. And another thing…"

As she ranted on, Minato once again was ensnared by the raw beauty that was Tsume. '_Even when she's steamed, she's still gorgeous_…' And once again, he was rudely awoken from its charms, by a conk to the head from none other than apple of his eye.

"Minato, you're doing it again!" Tsume half-screeched.

Minato tilted his head cutely. "Doing what?"

"Spacing out!"

Minato blinked owlishly. "Really?"

"Argh! You're impossible!" Tsume flailed her hands about in exasperation. "It's a wonder as to how I even put up with you!"

"Could it be because you _like_ him?" said Kuromaru, speaking for the first time.

Heat flushed through Tsume's cheeks. "Kuromaru!"

The black dog cocked his head at his partner. "What? I'm just stating facts."

"So the feeling _is_ mutual," Inoichi quipped with a knowing smirk as Chouza roared with laughter. "Lucky you, Minato!"

"Go on, Minato," said Hiashi. "Don't you have something important to tell Tsume?"

Minato blushed. "Well, I… …and you… …and the guys said that I should…"

"CUT TO THE CHASE!" yelled the normally composed Hiashi.

"Well, the thing is… IreallylikeyoualotTsume!" Minato managed to say it all in one breath. "And not just as a friend- I want to spend every waking moment with you for the rest of my life, no matter how long or short it may be, as long as it's with you."

"Minato…" Tsume gasped out.

"I know, I know… We both have kids, and you probably think this is being unfair to Shippo and Kushina, but I feel that they all deserve to have a complete set of parents, and I know you do too. If anything, I actually want to be the father that your children failed to have. I want to love them, raise them, and stand by them, for good times, and for bad. So what do you say? Will you give this old fool a chance?"

For the first time in her life, Tsume, who always had somethig to say, was speechless. After the traditional three-year mourning period was over, she had had gone out on a date or two, but once they had found out that she had children from a previous marriage, they had bailed out faster than one could say "Tiddlywinks". And yet, here was this man who was moving out of the shadows of his past, and promised to give all his love for her and her children, going as far as to treat them as if they were of his own blood.

Tsume thought back to Minato's son. Despite the man's busy schedule, he had always managed to make time for the boy. But for all he was worth, he could still not give him the warmth and comfort that only a mother could provide. She had heard both Naruto and Kiba ask each other what a mother/father was like, and after each answer, the reply would always be the same; both boys would end up saying, "I wish I had one…" It was heartwrenching to hear that. It was high time those children received the proper amount of love they deserved.

Looking back to Minato with admiration and determination in her eyes, Tsume gave her final decision.

"Alright Minato, I accept your offer."

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[1] Shippo is a very popular fan-name for the Inuzuka father-person. The last name varies from author to author, but I usually stick to Inuzuka. And I will say it again, the name translates to "tail".

A/N: And thus I have written a MinaTsume. My inspiration actually came from Fiori75's _Son of the Fourth_. But seriously, I wish someone could consider this as a pairing. I think it could actually work.

Also, Minato isn't dead in this story. The Kyuubi did attack, and yes, it got sealed into our blond protagonist, but I'm not going to go into details here. All I can tell you is that someone did seal in the furball. Who it is is up to your imagination.

Later

N & B


End file.
